Driver arrested after child dies in hit-and-run accident

SANTA ANA – A 2-year-old boy died Wednesday night after being struck by a driver authorities believe might have been intoxicated and unlicensed and who fled before being taken into custody at a nearby home, police said.

A mother and her two children were crossing Fifth Street at the North Bewley Street intersection about 6:20 p.m. when they were struck by an SUV, Santa Ana police Cpl. Anthony Bertagna said.

The mother was holding her 1-year-old girl in her arms and her boy's hand when she heard the SUV pull out of a nearby bar parking lot at a high rate of speed, Bertagna said.

She tried to yell at the driver, who struck the boy, pulling him underneath the SUV and the mother and 1-year-old onto the hood of the vehicle, Bertagna said. The mother reportedly lost control of the boy, and she and the 1-year-old were knocked to the ground as the SUV drove away.

The boy was taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead a short time later. The mother and the girl were treated at a hospital for minor injuries.

Using a license plate number provided by witnesses, police tracked the SUV to a mobile home park in the 1300 block of North Clinton Street, a little more than a mile away.

Angel Alberto Cruz Perez, 23, was taken into custody after failing a field sobriety test, Bertagna said.

Bertagna said Perez admitted to driving the SUV, with a passenger in the vehicle also indicating that he had been behind the wheel.

Perez was taken to Santa Ana City Jail, where he was expected to be booked on suspicion of vehicular manslaughter, felony hit-and-run, felony DUI and driving without a license.

Bertagna said it didn't appear that Perez has ever had a driver's license.

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